Starting-clutch for explosive-engines.



PATENTED JAN. 21, 1908.. R. E. BRADWAY.

APPLICATION FILED MAB.. 20. 1907.

STARTING GLUTGH FOB. EXPLOSIVE ENGINES.

' viss 9.- ffff 'tra sa'rs STARTING-GLUTC FOR EXLOSIVE-ENGIES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

rammed Jan.' d1, 190e.

-. Application'led March 20. 1907. Serial No'. 5363.494.

To all whom it may concern." V

BRADWAY, siding at Straughn, in the county of Henry and State of Indiana, have invented anew and useful Starting-Clutch for Explosive-Engines, of which lthe following is a speciiication. This invention has reference to improvements in starting clutches for explosive engines, and more especially for the engines of, automobiles, whereby the engine may be i started from the seat of the motor vehicle by a simple movement of a lever within reach ofthe driver of the vehicle.

The inventlon conslsts 1 essentially in a clutch mechanism applied to the drive shaft of the engine with engaging dogs arranged to aoy th movement of the y and with certain parts removed, showing the,

` under the vehicle bo thereof, or, in the .case of motor 'vehicles positively couple the members of the clutch together whereby motion may be manually transmitted to the engine to turn the same a sufficient number of times to insure the astablishment of the cycle operations.

The construction ofthe clutch is such that -a movement of the lever 1n one direction will cause the clutch members to-be moved into engagement to rotate the engine shaft, while offering no resistance tothe continued rotation of the engine shaft as soon as the explosions in the engine have been started, and

lever in the other direction will positively'lock the engaging parts out of action, ready, however, to be moved into engagement as soon as the lever is again moved in the proper direction.

The inventlon will be fully understood from the following detailed.4 description, taken in connection with the acctmpanying drawin forming part of this specification, in Whic i v l Figure 1 is a. side view, partly in section clutch in the disengaged position; Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the clutch in the en. 'gaged position with parts in the extreme position of adjustment .opposite to that shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section on the line Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of a fixed stop member; an Fig. 5 is a rear face view of a cap plate covering one side of the clutch. f

Referring to the drawings, there'is shbwn a ystructure 1 which may be one sideof the' vehicie body', or' a "s `ecially located strut y and near the floor i i! having longitudinally arranged Shafts, Be it known that I, RQBERT ELLswoRTH T a citizen of the UnitedStates, re

thi structure 1 may extendcrosswise f the bo y.

Extending through the structure 1 1s the power shaft 2 of the explosive engine or enginesvmounted upon thevehicle.

The shaftfZ has fast thereon a tooth. l' drum 3 to one side of which extends a clutc head 4 by means of Which the engine shaft may be started byia suitable crank if the starting devie should break. AOn the other side of thel drum 3 there is formed a hub 5.

which may either be formedin one piece with the' drum 3 or may be 'separatel attached to the shaft 2. The drum 3, c utch 4 -and hub 5 are all fixed to the shaft for rotation therewith;

Mounted upon the hub 5 there is an annu-' lus 6 and mounted upon the cylindrical body ofthe clutch 4 there is an annular cap plate 7, the annulus 6 and cap plate 7 being spaced lby the drum 3 and both extending beyond the edge or periphery of the drum 3.

Within the space between the annulus 6 and the cap plate 7 there is located a ring or annulus 8 having sprocket teeth 9 formed on its periphery, and at e ui-distant oints this annulus 8 is formed wit segmenta slots 10 to receive the enlargements or heads 12 v,

wall approximately radial or chamfered at` the edge nearest the drum 3, as indicated at 17. vided with another radial, outwardly-extending slot 18.

late7. The ea` p the slots 10,` the-annu- The outer wallof each slot 15 is pro- Seated in the slots or recesses 15 are seg- ,mental pawls 19 having pivots formed by .bolts 20 extendingl and also through perforations 21 inthe cap plate 7. The bolts 20 serve to secure the annulus 6 and ca plate 7 and the intermediate parts toget ier.

awl is beveled to fit the beveled end 16 of Aits reoessl', while the. other end 23 of each awlis provided with an angular notch tting it to the chamfered end of the recess through the annulus 6 One end 22 of each permittedfbyA the length of the slots 10. lThis the explosive engine in the usual manner.

i maybe 'of suilicient length and the parts may lstances, even less than a complete rotative flexible connection 29 passing over apulley 3() tice, be located within easy reach o` the -start the engine.y The lever 32 is moved vwalls 16 which wi cause the pawls to turn cause the pawls 19 to rotate the drum 3 with v revolutions of the shaft 2 to produce the irst 15. Each pawl is provided with a lug or I annulus 8 will be moved u on the annulus 6 tongue 24 entering the recess or slot 18 in the l outer wall of the recess 15: V

Engaging the teeth 9 of the annulus 8 isa sprocket chain 25 having one end attached by a iiexible connection 26 to a link 27 and the other end connected by a spring 28 to a mounted upon the member 1 and ultimately connecting with the other end of the linl 27 from that to ,which the Vflexible connection 26 is attached. The link 27 is pivotally carried by an arm 31 projecting from a lever 32 at an' angle thereto, and the pivot point 33 of the lever is located at the anglegof junction between the arm 31 and the lever 32.i A stop 34 appropriately located on the member 1 limits the movement of the lever 32 in one direction. 4Another stop 35 on the member 1 in the path of a stop pin 36 on the annulus 6 prevents a complete rotationfof the annulus 8 carried by said annulus 6.

The handle 3'7 of the lever 32 will, in racdriver of the motor vehicle.

Now, let it be assumed that the lever 32 is in the position shown in Figl, which will be its normal position, and that it is desired vto toward the 'left as viewed in Fig, 1. This operation will cause the annulus S 'to be moved the distance around the annulus 6 movement is suficientpto cause the beveled ends 22 of the pawls 19 to engage the beveled walls 16 of the recesses 1.5. These beveled ends 22 will thereu on ride along the beveled upon their pivots 20, thus moving the other ends 23 ofthe pawls into the path of the teethn the periphery of the drum 3. A continued movement of thev lever 32 imparting rotative movement to the annulus S will the annulus 8 and thus cause the rotationIv of the shaft 2 and the consequent starting of 1f the engine be of the type requiring two explosion in the' engine cylinder, the stops 35 and 36 may be omitted and the chain 25 be so proportioned that the movement of the lever 32 will imparttwo or more complete revolutions to the shaft 2.' With other types of engines, however, this is not neces-l sary, and one rotative movement of the an#4 nulus 8, or, in fact, under some circummovement ofthe annulus S will be suiiicient for the purpose and the parts may be .pro-

ortioned accordingly'. AThe engine having been started, the drum 3 will rotate with'its teeth riding under the pawls. Now, in re- .that might occur in the chain25 an `nections 26 and 29 due either to the maniputurning the lever 32 to its initial position the ment is quite completed, the lugs 24 on the pawls 19 are engaged by one of the walls of the slots 1S and these pawls are moved upon their pivots to bring their ends 23 out of the path on the teeth of the drum 3 and into engagement with the chamfered end walls of the recesses 15, where they are held by the conjoint action of these end walls and the engagement of the corresponding end walls of the slots 18 with the lugs 24.`

vSo long as the lever 32 remains in the ini'- tial position the pawls are safely locked out of the path of the teeth on the drum 3 and any movement of thesev teeth in a direction liable .to engage the pawls, as, for instance, when the engine stops at which time'it .is liable to reverse its direction of rotation for atv least a partial revolution, will be harmless and thereis v,thereforefno danger of either breaking from thedrum.

- The springZSserves to take up dany slack e con'- lation of the device -or the stretching of the parts, and the chain is therefore always maintained yin a taut condition.

1, 1n a clutch, la' toothed driven member, a-

'and each'having oneend arranged for en# gagement with the toothed member, and a' third member carried by the second member and havin 'a limited movement relative theretp'an provided with 'means for engaging the pawls to force them into engagement i with the toothed -member and yother means for engaging the pawls to force them outof engagement with-the toothed member, said third member being provided with means for the application of power, .and transmitting such power directly to the pawls carried by' the second member, and through said pawls l to the iirst oi` driven member.

2. ln. a clutch, a toothed driven member, a 'i drive member, pivoted pawls carried by the drive member and each having one end bev# eled and the other end notched, and another 'member carried byv the drive member and having a limited movement relative thereto and provided withseats for the pawls ar`.

4latter out of loperative relation with the y toothed driven member.

l 4. In a clutch, a toothed driven member, a drive member, paWls carried by the drive member, a paWl-operating member provided with segmental slots, and. headed retaining devices on the drive member and extending through the slots in the pawl operating member. A

5. In a clutch, a toothed driven member7 a drive member, paWls pivotally supported on the ldrive .member and having one end notched and the other end beveled and each provided with a projecting lug, a pawl-operating member having seats shaped to receive the pawls and engage their respective ends when moved in one direction or the other and to engage the lugs on the pawls to move the latter out of the path of the driven member and also provided With segmental slots, and headed retaining means carriedby the drive member and extending through the segmental slots in the pawl operating member for holding the latter to the drive member and for permitting a limited relative movement between the paWl-operating inember and the drive member.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

I ROBERT ELLSWORTH BRADWAY.

Witnesses:

` ERNEST C. MODLIN,

-WM. F. BRENNER. 

